As a young adult, falling in love is no easy task. Your grandma has made it her life’s mission to have you hitched, your parents are always too curious to know if there are any new flames burning in your life, and your best friends are always asking for updates on the dating scene. With all that on your mind, there’s clearly a lot of pressure when it comes to dating and falling in love, but when you’ve finally fallen in love…everything changes and you just know it’s right. Dating and your love life aren’t just about swiping right or left when you’re bored. Love actually has substance, and you actually feel hopeful. If you are experiencing the following symptoms, you most definitely are in love.
1. You’re always dying to talk to them.
Sure, you may have just sent five texts in a row…but a sixth couldn’t hurt, right? They’re pretty much the only person you want to talk to. When you’re alone with them, you could be talking about gun control policy or their favorite childhood memories and you would love it no matter what. Keeping up communication with them is a relief to you in that it feels like a lifeboat midst your hectic life.
2. You suddenly love the sappy love songs.
Bring on the Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran because you’re no longer annoyed by love songs. You eagerly listen to different ballads to find songs that perfectly describes your feelings and create Spotify playlists that you could listen to on replay.
3. You want to know them.
You want to peel back each of their layers and know everything about them – from their favorite color to the last time they cried, you want to know it all because you care so much about them. From the dark to the light, all parts of them are important to you.
4. You CANNOT get them out of your head.
You’re always thinking about the time you’ve spent together, what they could be doing at that moment, what they’re thinking, what they might have had for lunch, etc. Your mind essentially becomes a shrine and you adorn it with different thoughts of them at all times of the day.
5. Commitment doesn’t terrify you anymore.
Say goodbye to the marriage nightmares because commitment now sounds appealing. It’s weird, but the prospect of future marriage and calling your significant other “yours” sounds so great. You find yourself turning back into a middle-schooler who wants to write “Mrs.Taylor Baker” all over their Chemistry notes, and you can’t help but plan your future honeymoon location and wedding colors.
6. You would be willing to do anything for them.
You want to buy them that cookbook they’ve been wanting, you’d gladly spend an unlimited amount of gas money on them, and you’d happily stay up until 4 AM if they just needed someone to talk to.
7. There is never enough time with them.
You could spend all day with them and still dread the thought of leaving them. You miss them the second they’re gone, and it’s impossible for you to patiently wait to see them again. Time flies by and hours feel like minutes. Before you know it, 8 PM turns into 2 AM and you reluctantly have to say goodbye.
8. No one else from your past matters except them.
Your exes, Tinder matches, and crushes all fade because only one person matters now. If things ended badly in the past with an ex, you don’t feel angry anymore because the emotions are gone. You don’t feel like flirting with anyone else, and the only person on your mind is your significant other.
9. You really, really like them for who they are – flaws and all.
They’ve made mistakes, but who hasn’t? They’re human and you love that they are imperfect and can share those imperfections with you.
10. Even boring tasks are interesting when you’re with them.
Doing homework, working out…even reading a phone book could be interesting because you’re with them. Just having them next to you is enough.
11. You feel really intensely about them but can’t put it into words.
People ask you about your significant other, and although you can easily list off a hundred things that you love about their personality, you can’t quite put into words how much they mean to you or how they make you feel. Words just aren’t enough to describe the happiness you feel.
If you related to any of these symptoms, it’s very likely you’re very in love. Finding love may not be easy, but once you find love, it’s oh-so-worth-it. Keep on loving on, collegiettes!